A decade of nutraceutical patents: where are we now in 2018?

ABSTRACT

Introduction: In the last 10 years, nutraceuticals have grown in interest to researchers, industry, and consumers and are now familiar in the collective imagination as a tool for preventing the onset of a disease. Often nutraceuticals are confused with biologically active phytochemicals/botanicals which can have health benefits. This is a misunderstanding however as the term nutraceutical refers to a product that must have a beneficial effect on health proven by clinical testing.

Areas covered: A search has been performed on both recent patents and the literature regarding nutraceuticals focusing on the beneficial and proven health effects on pathological conditions to give an overview of the state-of-the-art developments in this area. Patents and literature data addressing specific pathological conditions are discussed.

Expert opinion: Nutraceuticals represent a challenge for the future of drug-based pharmacotherapy, and, at the same time, are a powerful tool for the prevention of chronic disease. They are not proposed as an alternative to drugs, but instead, can be helpful to complement a pharmacological therapy and prevent the onset of chronic diseases in subjects who do not qualify for conventional pharmacological treatment.

KEYWORDS:

• Patents
• nutraceuticals
• ingredients
• pathological conditions
• food supplements
• botanicals
• food

Article highlights

• Nutraceuticals are a toolbox for prevention of diseases.

• There is a need of a shared definition and of a regulation framework.

• Nutraceuticals must be recognized for their unique peculiarities.

• Food supplements and other food-derived products are not to be considered nutraceuticals.

• Botanicals and contained micronutrients are not in se nutraceuticals.

• Patents should substantiate any clinical beneficial effect on health.

This box summarizes key points contained in the article.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose

Additional information

Funding

This paper was not funded.